On Thursday (May 26), the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government presented the first budget of its second term in the State Assembly. It is the largest budget of the UP government to date, with a total outlay of ₹6.15 lakh crores.
The BJP government, which is eyeing achieving a trillion-dollar State GDP in the coming years, has primarily focused on fulfilling its poll promises in its 2022-2023 budget. It has a provision of ₹39,181.10 crores for new schemes and a whopping ₹54,883 crores for fulfilling 97 out of 130 election promises.
The budget, with a fiscal deficit of 3.96% of the State’s estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was presented in the Assembly by Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna.
आज विधान सभा में प्रस्तुत हुआ बजट प्रदेश की 25 करोड़ जनता की आकांक्षाओं व भावनाओं के अनुरूप है।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) May 26, 2022
यह बजट आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री जी के नेतृत्व में प्रदेश के समग्र विकास को ध्यान में रखते हुए गांव, गरीब, किसान, नौजवान व महिलाओं समेत समाज के हर तबके के हितों की पूर्ति हेतु बनाया गया है।
In a tweet, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “The budget presented in the Vidhan Sabha today is in accordance with the aspirations and sentiments of 25 crore people of the state.”
“Keeping in mind the overall development of the state under the leadership of the respected Prime Minister, this budget has been made to fulfil the interests of every section of the society including villages, poor, farmers, youth and women,” he added.
Here are 5 key takeaways from the Uttar Pradesh government’s budget for 2022-2023:
Social Welfarism
In line with its poll promise, the Yogi Adityanath government allocated a sum of ₹3,301.74 crores to provide 2 free Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders to Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna (PMUY) beneficiaries on the occasion of Diwali and Holi.
The government has also allotted ₹600 crores for Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana (mass weddings), ₹4,032 crores for Destitute Women Pension Scheme and ₹7053 crores for the old-age pension scheme.
The State Finance Minister announced that the government will provide a 40% subsidy to the boatsmen and fishermen community (Nishads) for the purchase of boats up to ₹1 lakh. The subsidy will be disbursed under the Nishadraj Boats Subsidy Scheme.
Agriculture
The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated a large portion of its budget to the agriculture sector, including a sum of ₹100 crores for ensuring minimum support price (MSP) for vegetable farmers under the Bhamashah Bav Sthirta Fund.
It has sanctioned another ₹17500 crores for strengthening procurement of ‘wheat and paddy’ at MSP. The government has also set a target to cover the entire Bundelkhand region of the State with cattle-based organic farming in the next 5 years.
देश में प्राकृतिक खेती को बढ़ावा देने हेतु आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री जी का जो विजन है, उसके अनुरूप उत्तर प्रदेश में कार्ययोजना पहले ही बन चुकी है।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) May 26, 2022
प्रदेश में कमिश्नरी स्तर पर प्राकृतिक खेती से जुड़े किसानों के लिए टेस्टिंग लैब की स्थापना उसका ही विस्तार है।
This has been done in accordance with one of its poll promises. The Yogi Adityanath government has allocated ₹650 crores under the farmers’ accident scheme, wherein a sum of up to ₹5 lacs will be provided to farmers in case of accidental disability/death.
Besides, it has set aside a sum of ₹1000 crores for the Chief Minister’s Minor Irrigation Scheme and ₹1,95,000 crores for providing potable drinking water (Jal Jeevan Mission) to dry and arid regions in the State.
The government has also put forth a target to disburse 119.30 lakh metric tonnes of fertiliser and install 15000 solar pumps.
Education
Having fully realised the need for more doctors in the State, the BJP had promised to double the number of MBBS and Post-graduate (PG) seats in Uttar Pradesh’s medical colleges in its election manifesto.
The government has sanctioned ₹500 crores for the purpose, besides an allocation of ₹2100 crores for establishing new medical colleges in 14 districts. According to Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, the target is to set up one medical college in each district of the State.
He informed, “At present, 65 medical colleges are operational, and 45 districts have at least one medical college.” The UP government has allocated ₹103 crores for setting up the National Law University (NLU) in the city of Prayagraj.
The Yogi government is also keen on promoting regional languages, which are spoken in the State. As such, a budget of ₹1.5 crores is set aside for establishing Goswami Tulsidas Awadhi Akademi, Suryadas Braj Bhasha Akademi and Keshavdas Bundeli Akademi. A forensic science institute will also be built in Lucknow.
Infrastructure
Besides social welfarism, agriculture and education sector, the government is also committed to the development of large-scale infrastructure projects in Uttar Pradesh. It has sanctioned ₹400 crores for the construction of the General Bipin Rawat Industrial Corridor in Bundelkhand.
Another ₹100 crores have been set aside for metro rail projects in Gorakhpur and Varanasi. The government has allotted ₹511.93 crores for the Gorakhpur-link expressway and more than ₹29 crores for the development of an industrial corridor in its vicinity.
आज प्रस्तुत हुए बजट में वाराणसी में श्रद्धालुओं व यात्रियों के लिए रोप-वे तथा वाराणसी, गोरखपुर, झांसी, प्रयागराज और मेरठ में ‘मेट्रो परियोजना’ की भी व्यवस्थाएं की गई हैं।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) May 26, 2022
आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री जी के विजन के अनुरूप समग्र विकास के सुपथ पर डबल इंजन की भाजपा सरकार सतत गतिमान है।
It has also provided a sum of ₹95 crores for purchasing land for setting up an international cricket stadium in Varanasi and an additional ₹201 crores for building an international airport in the holy Hindu city of Ayodhya.
Under its new Babuji Kalyan Singh Gram Unnat Yojana, the government will set up solar street lights in rural areas. Despite all these new infrastructure projects, no new taxes were proposed by the Yogi government.
Cultural Preservation
The BJP government, which is in charge of Uttar Pradesh, is committed to the preservation of cultural ethos and civilisation values in the State. It has set aside a sum of ₹1 crore for the constitution of a Board that will implement schemes for the welfare of sants, purohits, and pujaris.
आज प्रस्तुत हुए बजट में बुजुर्ग पुजारियों और संतों के लिए ‘पुरोहित कल्याण बोर्ड’ के गठन को भी शामिल किया गया है।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) May 26, 2022
Moreover, a sum of ₹15 crores has been allocated to build Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial and Cultural Centre and an additional ₹1 crore has been disbursed for its maintenance.
Memorials will also be built in honour of Maharishi Valmiki, Sant Ravidas, Sant Nishadraj and Maharaja Suheldev in Chitrakoot, Varanasi, Sangverpur and Bahraich respectively. A sum of ₹200 crores has been allotted for this purpose.
The government has also sanctioned over ₹276 crores for setting up a Special Security Force to protect courts and religious places such as Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura.
